Not What It Seems
by DianaDirectioner
Summary: When Princess Riona McKalib, a 12 year old girl who's new to being a royal, goes to Japan to study for school and meet with the Prime Minister, she befriends the Prime Minister's daughter, Aimi, and shows her the ups and downs of royalty. How will Aimi change Riona? How will Riona change Aimi? How will Aimi and Katsuragi react to the girl's life story? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

Hi! I'm Riona McKalib and I'm 12 years old. I'm also the daughter of Queen Kima and King Phillip of Greenway, an island nation off the coast of the United Kingdom. We rule on our own, but we still rely somewhat on the exports of Ireland and England. Or at least that's what Daddy tells me.

Today, Mommy and Daddy are letting me go to Japan, China and Thailand for a school research report. I'm flying out to visit the Prime Minister of Japan, visit the Chinese Emperor, take pics around Thailand then go back to Greenway. I'm bringing my bodyguard Joseph and my oldest brother Liam with me on the trip to help me with my manners and to help translate.

I have six siblings and I'm the second youngest. Liam is 23; Kiora is 19; Jinora is 18; Aedan is 16; Darren is 14 and Diamond is 8. We never expected to be in this position before. About a week ago, Daddy's big brother (the King) and his entire family were killed in a plane crash while coming back from the United States. We were next in line. As soon as that happened, Daddy got a call from the palace to see if he'd receive the title of King.

We lived in the countryside. We had a big house with a dog named Max and a kitten named Bri. We never had servants or chefs or guards or anything. We were just us. A big family with a very calm life. Now we have this.

As soon as we came to the throne, we had all this junk stuffed in our faces. We have to get fitted for clothes all the time, we have to dress a certain way, eat a certain way, even _talk and walk_ a certain way! I used to love playing dress up with Diamond and pretend we were like our cousin Princess Blayre.

It's a lot more different than we thought. Being a princess is hard. I hope they like me in Japan. I heard that the Prime Minister has a daughter! I'm bringing her a yellow chrysanthemum. They're our country's national flower.

(Aimi's PoV)

I know I'm the Prime Minister's daughter, but do I have to attend this meeting? It's apparently going to be between an ambassador from Greenway, a country I've never heard of, and my father. I'm supposed to be there to help the ambassador feel comfortable here. I thought father knew I can't speak English well. I guess not.

All I know is that the ambassador is a girl and that she doesn't speak any Japanese. Daichi is helping translate for me while she's here. Daichi and I will join her on her trip to Bangkok to make sure she gets on a flight safely.

Hopefully, I won't have to do much talking. I have a half hour before we head to the airport to meet this mystery girl.

"Aimi, are you even listening?" Daichi asks.

"Hmm? Oh! Sorry. I'm just wondering what this girl will look like and all. I hope she likes me." I sigh back.

"How could anybody _not_ like you? You're beautiful, kind, caring and so much more. Anybody who doesn't like you, is not somebody you need to be around." Daichi replies softly before kissing my head.

I smile before nodding. "Alright. So what were you saying?"

"I was saying you need to get your things together because we're heading out early. The ambassador's flight lands in fifteen minutes and we need to be there soon."

Wait. What?!

(Riona's PoV)

"Princess Riona?" Joseph asked.

"Yes, Joe?" I asked back.

"We'll be landing soon so you need to get ready."

"Oh. Okay. And Joe?" I asked, stopping him from walking away.

"Yes, Princess Riona?" Joseph asked confusedly.

"Please call me by Ria or Riona. You don't have to call me 'Princess' all the time. Besides, we're friends, right?" I asked, smiling happily.

"Only when we're not around the other guards or your parents. I must keep it formal in those situations."

"Okay. As long as you can call me that, we should be good." I said with a laugh.

(15 minutes later)

We landed safely in Japan and now we just need to get our things. As soon as we landed, crazy people with cameras near blinded me with flashes of light everywhere I turned. Joseph guided me safely into the building and we saw a man holding up a sign that said "Greenway Ambassador" I gave Liam my backpack and ran to the guy, giving him a tight hug.

"Hi! I'm Riona! I'm the ambassador from Greenway!" I said as I backed away from the man. "You must be my pickup. I'm pleased to meet you!" I said while curtsying.

"I'm Daichi Katsuragi. I'm the bodyguard of Prime Minister Hiraizumi and his daughter, Naomi." Daichi then turned to a girl not far away with brown hair and blue eyes and started talking to her in Japanese. The girl came over and I hugged her too.

"Hello." she said.

"Hiya! I'm Riona McKalib, Princess of Greenway and apparently a royal ambassador." I claimed with a smile.

"I'm Naomi Hiraizumi. Nice to meet you." So _this_ is the Prime Minister's daughter. She's pretty.

"You're pretty." I stated before taking my bag from Liam and opening the front pocket. I took out the small chrysanthemum and handed it to her. "This is our national flower. I picked it from the castle garden."

"It's beautiful, thank you." Naomi replied.

"From here, we'll be going to the residence where you will meet with the prime minister." Daichi said while guiding us to the baggage claim.

I quickly found my luggage, two bags consisting of dresses, riding gear, day clothes, pajamas, pictures, a book Grammy used to read to me, money and a box of fruit and cheese snacks that I stashed from the kitchen before I left. I wonder if I packed too much...nah.

Liam and Joseph took their luggage before we left for the residence. This should be cool!

(Aimi's PoV)

Riona seems sweet. I absolutely adore the flower she gave me. It's beautiful. I look in the rear-view mirror to see her staring out the back window in astonishment. I hope she likes it here. We will be spending almost a week together.

"Naomi, don't worry about this. Everything will be fine. Just relax. We'll be at your father's soon." Daichi soothed, taking my hand in his and rubbing the back of it as he drove.

"I just have this feeling that something might go wrong during the week." I sighed.

"It's probably just your nerves getting to you. Besides, if anything does happen, I will protect you and Riona no matter what." Daichi claimed as we pulled up to the residence.

"I know. I'll try to calm down." I said as Daichi got out to open my door as Riona's guard opened her door and helped her out.

I just can't ignore the feeling like something bad is about to happen.


	2. Chapter 2

(Riona's PoV)

As we got out of the car, I noticed a boy that looked about 19 or 20 standing near the door to the residence, sweeping the steps with a broom. I shrugged it off and weent to go get my luggage from the trunk. I took my bags and backpack and started walking to the door. When we got there Daichi started talking to the boy. All I understood was "Princess" before he turned to me.

"Princess Riona, this is Kenta. He guards the door." I nodded and curtsied to him.

"Welcome, Princess." Kenta said in English before bowing.

"Thank you, Kenta, but please call me Riona. I only like being called Princess when I'm in the castle." I replied before giving him a hug. I love hugs. Hugs are like silently telling a person you like them. At least that's what I think.

"Alright, Riona." I smiled before taking Naomi's hand and walking inside.

"So, where's the Prime Minister?" I asked.

"Down this hall. It's the last door before the corner." Daichi replied. I nodded and took off down the hall to the room he told me about. I put my things against the wall before walking in. I didn't bother knocking, but it was unlocked anyway so I didn't need to.

"Hey, Prime Minister!" I exclaimed. I heard noises from either side of me and turned to see two men on either side pointing guns at me. I screamed.

(Aimi's PoV)

I heard Riona scream and ran down to my father's room to see Kaiji, Sora, Mizuki and Subaru pointing guns at the little girl.

"HEY!" I yelled, rushing between them to shield Riona from them. "Why would you do that?! She's a little girl!"

"She ran in without warning. Who is she and why is she here?" Subaru asked.

"She's Princess Riona McKalib of Greenway. She's also the ambassador from Greenway that we were expecting today." I replied as I guided Riona to a chair. I turned away from the men and knelt down next to Riona. "You're shaking. Calm down."

Riona gave me a confused look before pulling her knees to her chest and tugging at the end of her dress. I noticed a tear go down her face as she shook. I turned around and glared at the other guys before standing and walking towards them.

"You imbeciles made a little girl cry! Do you know how cruel that is?!" I huffed. Each of them looked away. "Anyway; Dad, this is Princess Riona, the ambassador you were waiting for." I noticed Daichi comforting Riona and talking with her and smiled. He'll be a great father someday.

Riona looked away from Daichi and looked at my father. She whispered something to Daichi before he turned and started translating to my father.

"She says her Dad sent her with a note if you'd like to read it, sir."

"I would. Where is it?" Father asked.

Daichi translated for Riona before she grabbed her small blue pack from off her shoulder and opened up the first pocket. She searched around in it before handing Daichi a sealed letter with a bright green 'M' stamped on the seal line. He took the letter and handed it to father.

Dad silently read the note before looking at me, then at Riona, then back at the letter. "Princess Riona, have you read this?" Father asked. Daichi translated.

"No." Riona replied in Japanese. "Only my Daddy has seen it. He wrote it. I'm just the messenger."

"According to this, King Phillip wants Aimi to become the official Japanese ambassador to Greenway. He's asking Aimi to go to Greenway for their meeting when Princess Riona returns. He would like you to take a trial before you make up your mind. He also wants us to attend the coronation of his children."

King Phillip wants me to do that? Isn't that for older people or something? I have to go though. It could be a possible alliance between us and them...

(Riona's PoV)

What did Daddy say? Is it bad? I don't think I wanna know anymore. I take a sketch pad out of my bag and some colored pencils. I start drawing my dog Max and I drown out the noise of everybody talking. After I had almost finished his face, I felt Daichi put his hand on my shoulder.

"It's time for you to see your room." I nodded and picked up my bag. We left the room and I grabbed the rest of my luggage. Daichi took my hand and guided me to my new room. It was baby pink with a big bed in the middle. There was a closet across from the bed and a desk by the window with a laptop on it. Simple. I like it.

"Thank you, Daichi." I said as I checked the room out. I set my things down by the closet and opened them. "I'll start unpacking. I'll only be here for a couple days, but I don't care."

"Would you like any help?" He asked kindly.

"If you want. I don't really have much, though." I replied as he came over to me. "Were those your men that pointed guns at me?"

"Sadly, yes. I apologize for their behavior." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's okay. It just reminded me of when I was little. It really scared me." I mumbled.

"What happened when you were little?" Daichi asked as he helped me hang up a sweater.

"A group of guys kidnapped me for money when I was nine. They knew my Uncle Niam was the King, so they took me and his daughter, Kalleigh, to get his attention. It's nothing." I said simply as I put a dress on a hanger and handed it to him. I felt tears sting my eyes so I looked away.

"How did you get out?" Daichi asked like he was shocked.

"Kalleigh used her phone to call the police. They were kicked off the island."

"Wow."

"Y-Yeah." I took my riding gear out of the bigger bag and changed the subject. "Can I do horse riding here? My oldest sister Kiora told me to keep training while I'm here."

"I'll check if we can do it tomorrow. So are you prone to panic attacks?"

I sighed. "Yeah. Especially with my fear of small spaces."

"That's terrible. Anyway, your things are all set. I need to speak with Aimi, but if you'd like, I could bring her in. You could have some girl time with her?"

"Sure. I need help with my hair anyway. Could you stay too? You're easy to talk to." I asked as he walked to the door.

"You do need somebody to translate, right?"

"Yeah. Liam is probably asleep because of jet lag. I'm pretty sure he can't do that when he's asleep." I laughed.

He laughed before leaving. I grabbed an old nightgown from the closet and went in the bathroom to change. My Grammy gave it to me. It was one she wore before she gave it to me. It's a light blue with a lace thing sown on it to make it look like another dress. It also had blue ruffles on the bottom of the sleeves and the skirt.

I went back to the main room and started brushing my hair. My hair is brown. It's also long, the ends just about reaching my butt. I took off my small tiara and set it aside so I could brush the top of my head. My tiara is small, silver and has only one gem on it. It's a floral crown that all connects by small vines that surround the single emerald. I like it. It's simple and cute.

Just as I set my brush down, I heard a knock. "Come in." I said loud enough that the person could hear me. I turned to see Aimi and Daichi come in. "Hi."

"I heard that you need help with your hair?" Aimi asked, sitting next to me on my bed.

"Yeah. My Momma usually does, but she can't exactly do that right now." I joked.

"Alright. How do you want it?"

"Could you do a fishtail?" I asked.

"I can. Get whatever you need." I smiled and hopped off the bed and grabbed a hair tie, my favorite book and a clip. I sat down on the edge of the bed and she sat behind me. "What book is that?"

"A story my Grammy used to tell me when I was little. Want me to read it?" I asked as Daichi pulled a chair up in front of me and sat down.

"Sure." They both replied. I smiled and opened the book.

"_Once upon a time, a Princess was getting ready to go down to the village. Her parents, the King and Queen said she needed to understand the troubles of the commoners and townsfolk. They had her volunteer at a bread line where they gave homeless people and people who were struggling some bread for their families. _

"_'I always like to volunteer,' said the Princess, 'this will be easy!' _

"_The Princess hurried down to the kitchen and grabbed the couple baskets of bread the staff had made. She took her horse and went down to the village. When she arrived at the bread line, there were lots of people just waiting to get in. As she tied her horse to a post, she heard people whispering about her to others in waiting._

"_'What is the Princess doing here?'_

"_'I wonder if she is here for bread herself.'_

"_As the Princess grabbed her baskets, she went inside the building and brought the bread to counter. As she turned to give a basket to a boy volunteer, she walked into him, nearly dropping the bread basket._

"_'I apologize, Your Highness. I did not mean to hit you.' said the commoner._

"_'You did no harm to me.' said the Princess._

"_Immediately, the two felt a connection. A connection that could not be severed. _

_The bread line was a success and there was enough for everyone. After the bread line closed, the Princess and the commoner sat down to a cup of milk._

"_'I must thank you for coming today,' said the commoner, 'You really seem to care about these people.'_

"_'I do. You seem to care about them too.'_

"_'I do, yet I care about somebody else even more.'_

"_The Princess frowned. 'Whom might this someone be, Orion?' asked the Princess._

"_'You.' replied Orion, 'As soon as I saw your beautiful eyes and your smile, I felt something.'_

"_'Me as well!' exclaimed the Princess, 'We should ask my parents for permission to court!'_

"_'I agree.'_

"_Then the Princess and the commoner went back to the castle and asked the King and Queen for permission to court._

"_'No!' replied the King, 'You were there today to help the people and to understand them better, not make a relationship with a commoner!'_

"_'But, Father!' the Princess exclaimed._

"_'No, Eliza. This man is not of royal blood. You are to marry a man of royal blood, not a filthy commoner.'_

"_'I may be a commoner, but my parents have raised me with the same values as you. You may be a King, but you still help those in need. I love your daughter. Whether we can be together with your blessing or not, we will still remain friends. If you give us your blessing, we could continue what you have started, a kindhearted family at the throne, a successful kingdom that has no enemies and a beautiful kingdom that is always open to those in need. Please, sir. I love Eliza. Give us your blessing.' _

"_The King thought it over before nodding. 'Fine. You have my blessing as long as you keep your promise.'_

"_With that, Eliza and Orion got married. A year after their marriage, they had a baby boy who grew to be a Prince. The kingdom became the best for trade and remained open to those in need. They all lived happily ever after._

"_The End"_

"Wow. That's sweet." Aimi sighed as she finished my hair.

"It really is." Daichi claimed.

"It's a true story. Guess who they were." I said, toying with the tiny hairs that weren't braided.

"Your Grandmother and Grandfather?" Daichi asked.

"Nope. Grammy's Grammy and Grampy. They found true love." I sighed happily before getting up and dancing around my room. "To be honest, you two remind me of them. You both like each other and want to be together, but you haven't asked Aimi's Dad for permission yet."

"What? We don-"

"Don't even try, Daichi. I saw you two holding hands and I've seen the way you look at each other. It's obvious." I said as I stopped twirling. "Just ask him before he sets her up with someone else. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your lives."

We talked for about an hour before I got tired. I slowly felt myself start to drift in a chair when two arms picked me up. I noticed it was Daichi and let him carry me to bed. I felt the bed under me and cuddled into my pillow. I heard Aimi giggle and Daichi chuckle before the covers slowly go over me and be tucked under my chin.

"Goodnight, sweetie." I heard Aimi say as she kissed my forehead. I heard her move before Daichi kissed my hand.

"Goodnight, Riona."

That was the last I heard before I fell asleep.


End file.
